Subscriber Login

Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the most important factors potential expats consider before moving abroad and often one of the hardest to plan for in the U.S.

Anyone looking to retire overseas is concerned with the quality of the healthcare that will be on offer in their new overseas country. How can I gauge the calibre of the healthcare I could receive? Is it possible to get medical treatment as good as what’s available in the U.S. and Canada? The answer…a resounding yes. Sometimes it’s even better than what’s on offer at home, and at a more affordable price too.

Measuring the quality of healthcare is difficult, and it’s hard to put a number on it. We can, however, put a number on the price of medical procedures, the range of medical facilities and their world rankings.

In fact, many of the countries we speak about are leaders in the medical field, scoring high in the World Health Organisations ranking of healthcare systems. France, Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica are just some of our favorite overseas retirement havens that score higher than both Canada and the U.S.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The United Nations has also ranked Costa Rica’s public health system within the top 20 worldwide and the number one in Latin America.

From dental work, to joint reconstruction, to regular doctor’s visits, healthcare abroad doesn’t have to be a pain. With low barriers to entry, ease of use and flexibility, it’s no small wonder more people are turning their backs on the high healthcare costs in the U.S. for more accessible healthcare abroad.

Discover where to find the best quality, most affordable healthcare in the world from our expert expats, who share their overseas healthcare experiences. Our extensive library of articles below will give you new ideas about places where healthcare is both affordable and high quality.

To get you started we’re offering a FREE REPORT – How Americans Save $15,000 a Year on Healthcare… by Looking Abroad – which we’ll e-mail to you when you sign up for International Living’s free e-letter.

Get Your Free Report Here

Healthcare Archives

John Sklute, a retired English professor from California, has lived just about everywhere—from sunny Spain to spacious Sweden. So when he says that Berlin has a special something, you know he's done the legwork. John's love for Berlin started when he spent a summer there in 1994 and fell in love with a local. The relationship didn't work out, but John's passion for Berlin never waned.

Healthcare is one of the most important factors potential expats consider before moving abroad and in the right places overseas it’s possible to access world-class care for a fraction of the cost back home...

When we talk to U.S. expats about their healthcare experiences abroad, we repeatedly hear about three things that impress them: the personal, caring attention; how quickly they are able to see a doctor; and, inevitably, how affordable the care is, especially given the high quality...

To live the big city life for less and enjoy a world-class retirement look no farther than the San Francisco neighborhood of Panama City. I chose to live in San Francisco because of its walkability, its amenities, and just how close it is to the kind of action that makes for a great city life...and from gourmet delis to evenings at the opera, I enjoyed every minute.

Paradise is what you make it…and for many people, their paradise is life in Belize.They can have the Caribbean Sea, palm trees, sea breeze…all the things that come with a tropical lifestyle, for a fraction of the cost of back home.They can have all the amenities in havens like Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, or San Pedro. Grocery stores with everything they need...

Uruguay is a nation of immigrants—which means that if you're looking to retire overseas, you'll fit right in. This unique country's citizens are descended from all corners of the world; about 90% of Uruguayans have ancestors from Western European, with the highest percentages from Spain, Italy, and France. And, because most Uruguayans are descendants of immigrants (and many know and can tell you their family's relocation story) newcomers are generally treated warmly.

Before moving to South America in 2008, I worked independently and couldn’t afford health insurance. Here in Colombia, where health care costs are low, I used to pay out of pocket for medications and basic services, such as a dental checkup, which costs around $25. Even so, I often went without the care I needed to avoid extra expenses.

The 2014 Fast Track Costa Rica Conference is over and done with - and as expected, it was a roaring success. I'd wager the people who attended this conference were people who had read and heard about Costa Rica's breath-taking natural beauty, very affordable cost of living, and the Pura Vida lifestyle—and were interested in seeing if it's somewhere where they could enjoy a happier retirement for less than what they are paying at home.

More affordable air travel, mounting health care costs in developed countries, long waiting lists and an ageing world population have all contributed to a global explosion of medical tourism in the past decade—and Malaysia is leagues ahead in terms of its world market share.